The Atmosphere In Karnataka Is Not Good; Study Says It Has The Worst Air Quality Among All South Indian States 

Karnataka, among other things, has also topped the list of having the worst air quality in South India. In the state, 95 people are killed out of 100,000 due to air pollution, which is higher than the national average of 90. In 2017, more than 12.4 lakh people lost their lives owing to air pollution.

The study has been published in Lancet, a journal. The causes have been attributed to vehicle pollution, debris from construction, dust, industrial emission etc. Using solid fuel is also added as a factor. Karnataka and Kerala are well off economically and in case of the former, 42.8 per cent of the population uses solid fuel.

If the air quality were to improve, the life-span will be 1.4 years longer in Karnataka. Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have made significant improvements in their air quality.

Deccan Herald quoted Balram Bhargava, secretary to Department of Health Research as saying, “It is important to have robust estimates of the health impact of air pollution in every state in order to have a reference for improving the situation. The study systematically documents the variations among states, which would serve as a useful guide for making further progress in reducing the adverse impact of air pollution in the country.”